AU Cops Say Games Make Teens Sucky Drivers

[Sixties Spidey]

Really? If that's the case, then Halo taught me that it's just fine to shoot a random passer-by and proceed to tea-bag him cause I want the leet EXP points.

(buy teh haloz would like to reassure everyone on the Escapist that he isn't crazy at all, and everything he said now was said in jest.)

But really, how stupid would they have to be to say that? I suspect Micheal Atkinson has something to do with all this...

 

[nova18]

I wish NASA would hurry up with their teraforming research. That way we can round up all the conservatives and put them on the moon, where they can't bother the rest of us.

Probably be easier if we all packed up and went there ourselves.
We could let them panic about the evil that is gaming down here while we're having MASSIVE LAN parties and driving however the fuck we want to up on the moon.

I honestly want to sit EVERY one of these idiots in front of a console/PC, make them play a game and wait for them to say
"Oh...wait...that's what I was complaining about? Well I've been a fucking fool. Best go do some apologizing."

 

[Nimbus]

I wish NASA would hurry up with their teraforming research. That way we can round up all the conservatives and put them on the moon, where they can't bother the rest of us.

Probably be easier if we all packed up and went there ourselves.
We could let them panic about the evil that is gaming down here while we're having MASSIVE LAN parties and driving however the fuck we want to up on the moon.

I honestly want to sit EVERY one of these idiots in front of a console/PC, make them play a game and wait for them to say
"Oh...wait...that's what I was complaining about? Well I've been a fucking fool. Best go do some apologizing."

Hmm...


Don't usually get quoted on comments I made half a year ago...

 

[nova18]

Hmm...


Don't usually get quoted on comments I made half a year ago...

Sorry, didnt notice that the thread had been necro'd.

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

Oh yes, if people who suck at driving happen to play vidja games, it's clearly the video games' fault and not any lack of skill or anything like that! Yeah. Totally. *rolls eyes*

 

[toasterslayer]

videogames say cops make teens sucky gamers! owned.

 

[Squilookle]

Well Aussies, looks like we've all been busted. Now the world knows why we drive the way we do. It's all because of Burnout Revenge...

I call BS. I've actually got a lot of reverse parking credit to give to Driver for helping me fine tune my spartial awareness.

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

as an australian i find this flat out insulting to put it lightly, the real reason teen drivers suck here is because like all the other adults on the road they're arrogant little shits who think hooning around in a V8 commodore or nissan skyline is a god given right, and poorly implemented drvier education

if they made the driver training more like the training one has to go through to get a motorcycle licence here things would be a lot better.

EDIT: Michael Atkinson, right?

Yep, that's the bugger's name. Though, he's the Governor-General of South Australia.

'former' Governor-general of South Australia, he finally caved under the waves of hatred thrown in his direction and resigned his role, shifting the backbench instead where he will sit the remainder of his term and won't be seekign to be re-elected

 

[Felgy76]

I've held a drivers license in Australia for about 17 years and worked in several driving roles over the years.
I can honestly say that young drivers on the roads these days are no different from when I was in my late teens/early twenties. We were just as stupid and reckless back then as people are today, possibly more so since we had to push our cars harder to get the sort of performance that is easily found in today's standard production vehicles.

Seriously, giving a young male they keys to a car and expecting him to behave responsibly is like giving a box of matches to a pyromaniac and expecting no-one to get burned.

 

[Ken Sapp]

To suggest the average Australian kid doesn't know the difference between crashing in a game and coming magically back to life at a button press and crashing in real-life and having to be extricated from the twisted wreck of crushed metal and raced to the hospital is outrageous. Perhaps some kids' inability to drive properly comes from a lack of proper education. Other officials cited in the report pointed to the lack of a formal driving program in some schools and a general need for parents to be stricter on their student drivers as the culprit.

I agree with the last paragraph, however I wouldn't be surprised to find out that kids do overestimate their abilities(somewhat reinforced by the games perhaps) and try pull off some of the racing stunts that are performed in games such as drifting. The fact that young drivers often overestimate their skill behind the wheel is fairly well known, and to be fair many adults overestimate their abilities as well as evidenced by the number of crashes due to people driving too fast for road conditions or tailgating. So I would say that games may play a small role but as pointed out at the end of the article lack of formal training and insufficient parental supervision most likely deserve the lion's share of the blame, say 95%+.

 

[Ken Sapp]

Seriously, giving a young male they keys to a car and expecting him to behave responsibly is like giving a box of matches to a pyromaniac and expecting no-one to get burned.

I resent that remark, as a lifelong pyro I have never burned anyone.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

You know, after playing Saints Row 2, I accidentally drove a couple people off the road and shot at police. I couldn't help it since I can't tell the difference between real life and video games. I didn't care, either, because I know I can just respawn if I crash anyway.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

EDIT: Michael Atkinson, right?

Yep, that's the bugger's name. Though, he's the Governor-General of South Australia.

'former' Governor-general of South Australia, he finally caved under the waves of hatred thrown in his direction and resigned his role, shifting the backbench instead where he will sit the remainder of his term and won't be seekign to be re-elected

Oh for fuck's sake... former ATTORNEY-GENERAL of South Australia.

He of the perpetual veto on the R18+ proposal, he of the unconstitutional anti-association laws, he who was the main supporter of the private members bill that led to R18+ dvds having to have plain covers in South Oz because some churchy fuckwit member couldn't control their spawn in a fucking shop... He who pushed through a law that made annonymous commenting on the internet about South Australian elections a criminal offense (and suffered much public backlash for, thank fuck). Need I go on? His fuck ups are many and listing them all would require several hours of typing.

 

[Reep]

I agree with the police, and im even one of the drivers theyre talking about. yeah sure pulling a nice arcing drift in Need for Speed is great, but try doing that in real life on a suburban street in your shitty little front wheel drive Diahatsu Charade.

Seriously young drivers need to learn how to control a car and games do shit all in helping car control knowledge. They need to know that flying into a corner will result in you flying into the street pole as well and that spinning out in game is much different in real life when you can hit a person, car, street pole or a wall.

"Yeah but i drift all the time and havent crashed yet, i know the roads" Overheard from a bloke i know.
Great, there is always a margin for error though, pull it off once, whats to stop another car pulling out of a side street without looking, or your tyres being worn out and popping, or the driver simply being overconfident and pushing a car beyond its limits.

 

[uzo]

I recently moved to Queensland. And sweet Jesus the people up here are goddamn terrible behind the wheel.

I see dickheads switching lanes without indicating through peak hour traffic doing a good 30kph over the limit.

*Every* *single* *time* I pull up at a roundabout, some fucktard doesn't indicate. One of them had the fucking audacity to honk at me when I pulled out because the fuckwit was indicating left instead of fucking right.

And seriously ... the number of roadside crosses I see on roundabouts ?! WTF? How do you die on a fucking roundabout ?!?

So, no, I don't think it's got anything to do with the video games. I think it's got to do with training and culpability.

In Japan, if you're drink driving and you get caught EVERY SINGLE LICENSED DRIVER IN THE VEHICLE IS CHARGED EXACTLY AS IF THEY WERE DRIVING. Aussies drone on about mateship and 'taking one for the team'; but I guaran-wait for it-tee you that they sure as hell will not be willing to lose their license and pay a big fat fine `cause their mate was pissed.